ENCINITAS: Demolition to proceed on entire Hall property

Old adobe home won't be salvaged <br>This article has been modified since its original posting

A last-minute effort to save a 1940s-era adobe home and turn it
into an artists' center failed Wednesday when the Encinitas City
Council narrowly voted to clear all structures from a future park
now known as the Hall property.

The council voted 3-2, with councilwomen Teresa Barth and Maggie
Houlihan opposed, to proceed with demolition of the many buildings
on the old Hall nursery property, which is just west of Interstate
5 and just south of the Rite Aid shopping center on Santa Fe
Drive.

Plans call for the 44-acre property to have five sports fields,
a dog park, a skatepark, children's play structures and a swim
complex. The demolition contract, which is not to exceed $181,470,
was awarded to R.B. Holt Inc. Work is expected to begin before
March 1.

The council majority said Wednesday night that it was time to
finally get started on a park project that's been in the works for
at least eight years. Those in the minority said they were voting
against the demolition contract because they wanted one corner of
the property ---- the old adobe home site ---- to be saved.

Mayor Dan Dalager said that he didn't want the city's
long-sought park project to be held up even a day at this point
because the city has been working for years to make the park a
reality.

However, Dalager added, the decision was difficult for him
because he loves the old Hall family home and previously had tried
to raise money to save it.

"I did everything I could to save this building because I love
it," he said.

Councilman James Bond said he wanted to cut costs by sticking
with the existing demolition plan, and Councilman Jerome Stocks
said he didn't want to make any changes to the demolition plans
because he worried that would trigger lawsuit.

"I'm not interested in position of putting the city in the
position of yet another ... lawsuit," he said.

The park plans have been the subject of much debate and legal
action over the years. In 2005, a citizens' group successfully sued
to force the city to do a full environmental assessment of the
site. In 2009, the same group unsuccessfully argued that the
resulting environmental document was insufficient.

Barth and Houlihan said they didn't believe that eliminating the
Hall house from the demolition plans would delay the rest of the
project.

Houlihan added that she didn't think park opponents would sue
over saving the house. In the past, opponents have been concerned
about light and noise from the future ball fields.

She said the area with the house is part of the second phase of
park construction, and that's years from beginning. Plans call for
the Hall home area to eventually become a teen center. The city may
want to rethink that idea given that another teen center in the
community closed because of lack of youth interest, Houlihan
said.

Before Wednesday's vote, the council heard from history buffs
and artists who said they wanted the adobe saved.

"Please, please don't do this," one history enthusiast urged the
council.

Representatives for the city's Arts Commission and members of
the 101 Artists Colony also sought the building's survival, saying
it would make a wonderful artists' center.

"I have no doubt we could raise the money to rehab the
building," local silk-screen artist Jeanette Shires said.

Seismic retrofitting and making other changes has been forecast
to cost $264,000.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at 760-901-4072.

This article has been corrected to reflect that a demolition
contract for the future park site, not a grading contract. We
apologize.